Cigarette case



Aug. 20, 1935. B ATWATER ET AL 2,@12,033

CIGARETTE CASE Original Filed Dec. 13, 1932 m? magi 8 M I A raze/v15 V5 11v VENTOR I 62 07376 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 I w en smear oFFIcE i oroann'r'rs CASE George is. Atwater, Wilmar, and Wayne G. Eddy,

South Pasadena, Calif Appueaam December 13, 193.2, serial No. 646,968 Renewed January 21, 1935 7 Claims. (o1. zoo- 4.1.

The present invention, is directed to cigarette cases, or the like, and particularly to a device for carrying cigaretteswhich is of light weight, high structural strength and simple construction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette carryingcase of novel and advantageous design, adapted to receive. a plurality of cigarettes and preserve the same in good condition and in relative alignment.

A further object of" the invention is to provide a cigarette carrying case adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes and preservethe same in relative alignment with respect to the case itself independent of thenurnber of cigarettes remaining in said case, whereby,;even though but a single cigarette remains in said case, said cigarette willbe preserved, in erect position and in good condition without crushing or otherdamage.

The device of the present invention is, fur-.

ther, particularly novel in providing that cigarettes are carried in acornpact container adapted to hold cigarettes in number correspondingto the number of cigarettes found in popular packaged brands, namelyZOiwithout likelihood of damage to said cigarettes in the removal or insertion of such. ,1

The device of the presentinvention maycomprise a container having separate cigarette-receiving spaces disposed at opposite sides of afixed partition, said cigarette-receiving spaces being formed after the manner of drawers or slides slidably mounted on said partition and movable with respect thereto to expose or conceal said spaces.

The device of the present invention is particularly simple in construction, being free of hinges or the like which are commonly used in cigarette-. case construction, and capable of formation by die-stamping procedure. The simplicity and other advantages of the. device, as well as further objects of the invention, will be apparent from the following description thereof or will be pointed out" Fig. 6 is a broken-away partly sectional detail thereof, taken on line 66 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the device may comprise a center partition l provided with a rim portion 2 extending aboutthe rearward and lateral edges of said partition and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for example, by means of rivets 3 which may conveniently be formed integrally with said partition, and slides or drawers 5 formed as shallow shells provided with projecting lateral flanges 5 extending about. the peripheral edges at the openside-of said drawers, the lateral or side ones of said flanges being slidably disposed within the overlapping rim portions 2a of the side portions tb of the rim 2 in the space or-groove -2a"defined;by and between said portions 2d andthe adjacent side of the partition I, the

rearward flange of said drawersfitting between Fig. 4. i i V I Means are preferably provided for preventing inadvertent withdrawal of the drawers beyondthe forward ends of the rim member 253.116. such means may conveniently comprise a-plurality of beads bumped outwardly of said partition andin opposite directions, as shown at to and 61;, ,constituting limit stops in position as to engage the inner-surface of the rearward edge 4a of said drawers. positioned sufficiently rearwardly of the forward edge of said partition as to provide-suitable longi tudinal engagement of the edges 5 with the groove 2a, as shown in Figs; 3 and 4. These bumps are preferably also so spaced laterally with respect toone another in relation to the width of the cigarettesas to occupy areaswhich are left free by said cigarettes, as shown particularly at theleft end of Fig.5. In this f gure, an upwardly projecting bead 6a is shown as fitting between two cigarettes lilo. and lllb, and a downwardly projecting bead (5b is shown as fitting between two cigarettes Ito and Hid.

The beads 6a and Eb are preferably so positioned longitudinally of the device that the drawers d may be stopped in their outward movement at a point such that the forward edge of The beads 6a and 6b are preferably the partition overhangs said drawer to an apsaid drawer upon occasion of inadvertenti'nversion of said case.

be used for the manufacture thereof.

The cigarette carrying case of the present invention may be used by opening a drawer, preferably the drawer which is then at the lower side of the case, as shownin'Fig. 4, filling the exposed space with cigarettes as shown at ID in Figs. 3 and 4, and then closing the drawer. When the cigarettes are placed in the drawer space, they will be in-frictional engagement with the inner surf'acefib of said drawer, and also in frictional engagement with the opposing surface of the partition 1, whereby said cigarettes are prevented from displacement other than by forcible manual displacement, the depth of said drawer, as shown at Bf, Fig. 5, being preferably slightly less than the diameter of a cigarette placed therein. In this manner, when but a few cigarettes are in place in the case, for example as shown in Fig. 3, these cigarettes will be preserved in the alignment shown independent of the position in which the case is carried, and

the cigarettes are thuskept in/an attractive and serviceable condition.

It will be understood that the case maybe turned over and the other drawer withdrawn, filled, and returned to position. When it is desired to remove a cigarette, a drawer (preferably that whichis in lower position) may be opened, a cigarette withdrawn, and the drawer replaced.

The entire cigarette case is conveniently formed of light-gage metal, such as for example, of aluminum, and may be decorated in any desired manner. The upper and lower drawers are identical in shape and size, and a single die may The drawers areassembled in their correct relation to the partition I by inserting the same within the groove formed by the'rim portion 2 and the partition I up to the bumps 6a and 6b, whereupon the partition may be deformed bymanual pres sure until said bumps no longer resist passage of the rearward edge 4a, the drawer pushed past the bumps, and'the'pressure released. The device may be disassembled by a reversal of this procedure.

We claim:

1. A cigarette carrying case comprising: a central partition; cigarette-receiving drawers slidably secured to saidpartition at opposite sides thereof andhaving their open sides facing said partitionso as to provide a cigarette-receiving space within each drawer, said drawers being movable with respect to said partition to positions exposing and concealing said spaces, re-

said drawers are in concealing position.

2. A cigarette-carrying case as set forth in claim 1, and comprising in addition: means on said partition intermediate the length thereof in the direction of sliding movement of said drawers defining limit-stops positioned for engagement by the respective drawers to limit outward movement thereof, to only partially expose said spaces.

3. A cigarette-carrying case comprising: a central'partition of rectangular shape; a rim member extending along the opposite lateral edges of said partition and secured thereto, said rim member being provided withrimportions cooperating with saidv partition to define a groove along said edges on opposite sides of said partition; and two cigarette receiving drawers having peripheral flange portions slidably disposed within said grooves, said drawers having their open sides facing said partition so as to provide a cigarettereceiving space within each drawer, and said drawers being movable with respect to said partition to positions exposing and concealing said spaces, respectively.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, and comprising in addition: means on said partition defining lirnit-stops-positioned for engagement by the respective drawers to limit outward movement thereof. 7 g

5. The invention set forth in claim 3, and comprising in addition: means on said partition defining limit-stops positioned for engagement by therespectivedrawers to limit outward movement thereof to only partially expose said drawers.

6. The invention set forth in claim 3, and com-' prising ,in addition: means on said partition defining limit-stops positioned for engagement by the respective drawers to limit outward movement thereof, said limit-stops comprising a plurality of beads projecting outwardly of said partition and in opposite directions, said beads being so spaced in relation to the width of the cigarettes to be. received by said drawer as to occupyareas betweenadjacentcigarettes, substantially as set forth.

7. A cigarette-carrying case comprising: a central partition of rectangular shape; slide means 1 on two opposing lateral edges of said partition;

' vide a cigarette-receiving space within each drawer, said drawers being'movable with respect to said partition to positions exposing and concealing said spaces respectively and said partition also having flange means projecting in opposite directions from the, plane of said partition at the rearward edge thereof with respect to the direction of sliding movement of said drawers.

GEoRc-E B. A'IWATER. WAYNE G. EDDY. 

